1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing patterned shaped articles using a particle course-forming apparatus. The patterned shaped articles include patterned shaped concrete articles, patterned shaped artificial stone articles, raw products for sintering into patterned shaped ceramic articles, patterned shaped ceramic articles, patterned shaped articles having impasto layers, patterned shaped plastic articles, patterned shaped foodstuffs and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the inventors previously proposed various methods for producing patterned shaped articles. One of the methods, using an auxiliary form of a configuration appropriate for a pattern to be expressed, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,321. Another method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,791 in which a cell form comprising a plurality of small cylindrical cells which have the equal height and are arranged densely in a contiguous manner is used. Another method uses a projection-bristling form having a support member and a plurality of projections standing upright from the support member, that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,772.
He further proposed various methods for producing patterned shaped articles, which comprise the steps of overlaying a course of dry particles on a base surface, removing the dry particles at prescribed positions in accordance with a pattern to be expressed using a mask, a suction nozzle, compressed air, a scraper, etc. to form a vacant space, filling the vacant space with a different kind of particles, and allowing or causing all the particles into an integral mass (U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,907; No. 5,576,031; No. 5,662,847; and No. 5,679,298).
There has been an increasing demand for shaped articles having a complicated pattern with diversification of designs and functions. Various materials different in particle size, shape, adhering power, hardness, weight, etc. have been used singly or in combination from the standpoints of design diversification and multifunctionality for producing a patterned shaped article. When a patterned shaped article to be produced is a tile, for example, raw material admixed with pulverized particles of sintered ceramics is used in order to afford slip resistance to the tile. Such ways as this are needed.
Although workers on a job site desire to handle particles for forming a shaped article with a particle size as large as possible, when shaped articles with a more complicated pattern are to be produced in order to satisfy the aforementioned demand, a retainer such as a cell form, a projection-bristling form, etc. has to have a plurality of narrow particle-retaining spaces to express a fine part of the pattern.
As a result, the particle-retaining spaces of a retainer have become narrower, and particles having a size and a shape barely accommodated in the spaces and exhibiting proper adhering power have been used. For this reason, adoption of the conventionally proposed methods using the retainer and particles. requires much time to produce patterned shaped articles and results in low productivity.
In the cases where particles have a large particle size, where particles having a large particle size and particles having a small particle size are combined, and where particles different in shape, adhering power, hardness, weight, etc. are combined into a complicated mixture, it takes much time to remove the particles from a retainer and associated appliances are increasingly damaged and worn off. This results in high cost contrary to a demand for low cost.
The present invention was accomplished in view of the above problems and has as its object to provide a method for rapidly producing multifunctional shaped articles with complicated and various design patterns at low cost with high productivity.